492 TSIMSHIAX MYTHOLOGY [BTH. ANN. 31 



I have omitted the Tsimshian terms IeoI ("remote ancestor"), 

 gan-tsal ("ancestor to the sixth generation"), ts.'Em-ai ("ancestor of 

 fourth and fifth generations"), from the comparative table. I am 

 not certain of their exact phonetic form, since they are contained 

 only in Mr. Tate's records. 



It is a characteristic feature of the Tsimshian system that all terms 

 of consanguinity and affinity in the speaker's own generation are 

 reciprocal. In this respect it differs fundamentally from all the other 

 systems of the North Pacific coast. Among the Haida only the 

 terms of affinity are reciprocal, while among the Tlingit only one of 

 these terms is reciprocal. Setting aside the reciprocal terms of 

 Tsimshian, there are no terms that extend over several generations, 

 like the word for "women of father's clan of father's and own genera- 

 tion" in Haida (sqari). 1 The only terms that embrace individuals of 

 different exogamic groups. are those for grandparents and grand- 

 children, those for more remote generations, and the terms for 

 "parent-in-law" (viz, "child-in-law"). The term for "child," when 

 used by the man, designates a person of another clan; when used 

 by the woman, a person of the same clan. The same is true in the 

 case of the Haida and Tlingit, A woman's "nephew" belongs to 

 another clan, whde the man calls by the same name a member of his 

 own clan. There is some uncertainty in regard to these terms, but it 

 would seem that in Tlingit and Haida distinctive terms are used by 

 the man and woman to designate "nephew" and "niece." 



The reciprocal terms of Tsimshian differ from the reciprocal terms 

 of the interior of British Columbia, in so far as they are well developed 

 within the family group in the narrower sense of the term, while in 

 most of the other languages thai contain terms of this type they 

 express remoter relationship. 



The separate terms used by the woman for designating "father" 

 and "mother" are never used with the third person pronoun. In 

 this case the terms used by the man arc always employed in reference 

 to the woman also. 



Parents collectively are either called dip my nth Cone's people") 

 240.6, ovgar-nEg-a'ik 254.8, according to grammatical form ; or they are 

 called dEp-iiEg'wa'°d ("fathers") 154, line 4 from end, and <li:p-nu'"f 

 ("'mothers") 154.19. . 



The contrast between the system of relationship of the three 

 northern tribes and that of the Kwakiutl appears clearly from the 

 following tables: 



' See pp 190, 191. 



